Lake Superior
Landsat image
Location	Great Lakes
Coordinates	47.7° N 87.5° W
Lake type	Rift lake
Primary inflows	Nipigon, St. Louis, Pigeon, Pic, White, Michipicoten, Kaministiquia Rivers
Primary outflows	St. Marys River
Catchment area	49,305 sq mi (127,700 km²)
Basin countries	Canada, United States
Max. The Laurentian Great Lakes are a chain of freshwater lakes located in eastern North America, on the Canada–United States border. A lake (from Latin lacus) is a Terrain feature (or Physical feature) a body of Liquid on the surface of a world that is localized to the A rift lake is a Lake formed as a result of subsidence related to movement on faults within a Rift zone an area of Extensional tectonics in In Hydrology, the inflow of a Body of water is the source of the Water in the body of water The Nipigon River is about 48 km (30 miles long and 50 to 200 m (165 to 656 ft wide in Ontario, Canada. The St Louis River is a river in the US State of Minnesota that flows into Lake Superior. The Pigeon River forms part of the US - Canada border between the State of Minnesota and the Province of Ontario west of Lake Superior The Pic River is a river in Thunder Bay District Ontario which flows from its headwaters east of Longlac and empties into Lake Superior south of the town White River (population 841 is a township located in Ontario, Canada, on the intersection of The Michipicoten River is a river in the Algoma District of northern Ontario, Canada, which flows from Lake Wabatongushi and joins with the Magpie The Kaministiquia River (ˌkæmɪˈnɪstɪkwa is a Canadian River which empties into western Lake Superior at the city of Thunder Bay In Hydrology, the discharge or outflow of a River is the volume of Water transported by it in a certain amount of time The St Marys River ( French: rivière Sainte-Marie) sometimes written as the St A drainage basin is an extent of Land where Water from Rain or Snow melt drains downhill into a body of water such as a River, A drainage basin is an extent of Land where Water from Rain or Snow melt drains downhill into a body of water such as a River, length	350 mi (560 km)
Max. width	160 mi (260 km)
Surface area	31,820 sq mi (82,400 km²) [1] Canadian portion 11,081 sq mi (28,700 km²)
Average depth	482 ft (147 m)
Max. depth	1,332 ft (406 m)[1]
Water volume	2,900 cu mi (12,000 km³)
Residence time (of lake water)	191 years
Shore length1	2,725 mi (4,385 km)
Surface elevation	600 ft (180 m)[1]
Islands	Isle Royale, Apostle Islands
Settlements	Duluth, Minnesota Superior, Wisconsin Thunder Bay, Ontario Marquette, Michigan Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. Lake retention time (also called the Residence time of lake water or the water age or flushing time) is a calculated quantity expressing the Isle Royale is an island of the Great Lakes, located in the northwest of Lake Superior. Duluth is a Port City in the US state of Minnesota and the County seat of St The city of Superior sits at the junction of US Highway 2 and U Thunder Bay ( 2006 census population 109140 formerly the twin cities of Fort William and Port Arthur, is a City in and the seat of Thunder Marquette is a city in the US state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 19661 with the 2007 population estimated placing it Sault Ste Marie (ˌsuːseɪntməˈriː is the oldest city in both the state of Michigan and in the entire Sault Ste Marie (nicknamed "the Sault" or "the Soo" is a City on the St

Lake Superior is the largest of the five Great Lakes of North America. The Laurentian Great Lakes are a chain of freshwater lakes located in eastern North America, on the Canada–United States border. It is bounded to the north by Ontario, Canada and Minnesota, United States, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. Ontario (ɒnˈtɛrioʊ is a province located in the central part of Canada, the largest by population and second largest after Quebec Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Minnesota ( Native Americans demonstrated the name to early settlers The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A US state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States of America that share Sovereignty with the federal government Wisconsin ( or wɪˈskɑnsɨn (French Ouisconsin) is one of the fifty United States of America, located in the north central part of the United States Michigan ( is a Midwestern state of the United States of America. It is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area and is the world's third-largest freshwater lake by volume. Lakes with a surface area of more than 4000 km² listed by area This article lists Lakes with a water volume of more than 100 km³ ranked by volume ^[2]

Name

In the Ojibwe language, the lake is called Gichigami, meaning "big water". It is also known as "Gitche Gumee" as recorded by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in The Song of Hiawatha. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (February 27 1807 &ndash March 24 1882 was an American educator and Poet whose works include " Paul Revere's Ride " The Song of Hiawatha is an 1855 Epic poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow based on the legends of the Ojibway Indians.

The lake was named le lac supérieur, or "Upper Lake," in the seventeenth century by French explorers because it was located above Lake Huron. Legal residents and citizens To be French according to the first article of the Constitution is to be a citizen of France regardless of one's origin race or religion ( Lake Huron, bounded on the west by the US state of Michigan, and on the east by the province of Ontario, Canada, is one of the five Great It was also known as Lac Tracy during the French regime. (Nute, 1946)

Hydrography

Lake Superior and the other Great Lakes

Lake Superior in winter, as seen from Duluth in December 2004

Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area. The Laurentian Great Lakes are a chain of freshwater lakes located in eastern North America, on the Canada–United States border. Duluth is a Port City in the US state of Minnesota and the County seat of St Freshwater is a word that refers to bodies of water such as Ponds lakes rivers and streams containing low concentrations of dissolved Salts and other Total dissolved A lake (from Latin lacus) is a Terrain feature (or Physical feature) a body of Liquid on the surface of a world that is localized to the Lake Baikal in Russia is larger by volume, as is Lake Tanganyika. Lake Baikal (о́зеро Байка́л Ozero Baykal, ˈozʲɪrə bʌjˈkɑl Байгал нуур Baygal nuur) is in Southern Siberia in Russia Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Lake Tanganyika is a large Lake in central Africa (3° 20' to 8° 48' South and from 29° 5' to 31° 15' East The Caspian Sea, while larger than Lake Superior in both surface area and volume, is saline; though presently isolated, historically it has been repeatedly connected to and isolated from the Mediterranean via the Black Sea. The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged Sea. The Black Sea is an inland Sea bounded by southeastern Europe, the Caucasus and the Anatolian peninsula ( Turkey

Lake Superior has a surface area of 31,820 square miles (82,413 km²)^[1]—which is larger than South Carolina. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of South Carolina ( is a state in the southern region ( Deep South) of the United States of America. It has a maximum length of 350 miles (563 km) and maximum breadth of 160 miles (257 km). Its average depth is 483 feet (147 m) with a maximum depth of 1,333 feet (406 m). ^[1] Lake Superior contains 2,900 cubic miles (12,100 km³) of water. There is enough water in Lake Superior to cover the entire land mass of North and South America with a foot (30 cm) of water. South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The shoreline of the lake stretches 2,726 miles (4,387 km) (including islands). An island (ˈaɪlənd or isle (/ˈaɪl/ is any piece of land that is completely surrounded by water in two dimensions above high tide and isolated from other significant The lake's elevation is 600 feet (183 m)^[1] above sea level. American limnologist J. Val Klump was the first person to reach the lowest depth of Lake Superior on July 30, 1985, as part of a scientific expedition, which, at 733 feet below sea level, is the lowest spot on the North American continent. Limnology (from Greek Λίμνη limne, "lake" and λόγος logos, "knowledge" is the division of Hydrology that studies inland Jeffrey Val Klump (born December 17, 1948) is an American Limnologist. Events 1419 - First Defenestration of Prague. 1502 - Christopher Columbus lands at Guanaja in the Bay Islands off Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar)

Annual storms on Lake Superior regularly record wave heights of over 20 feet (6 m). ^[3] Waves well over 30 feet (9 m) have been recorded. ^[4]

Until approximately 1887, the natural hydraulic conveyance through the St. Marys River rapids determined outflow from Lake Superior. The St Marys River ( French: rivière Sainte-Marie) sometimes written as the St By 1921, development in support of transportation and hydropower resulted in gates, locks, power canals, and other control structures completely spanning St. Marys rapids. The regulating structure is known as the Compensating Works and is operated according to a regulation plan known as Plan 1977-A. The current water levels, including diversions of water from the Hudson Bay watershed, are governed by the International Lake Superior Board of Control which was established in 1914 by the International Joint Commission. The International Joint Commission is an independent binational organization established by the United States and Canada under the International Boundary

Tributaries and outlet

The lake is fed by over 200 rivers. The largest include the Nipigon River, the St. Louis River, the Pigeon River, the Pic River, the White River, the Michipicoten River, the Brule River and the Kaministiquia River. The Nipigon River is about 48 km (30 miles long and 50 to 200 m (165 to 656 ft wide in Ontario, Canada. The St Louis River is a river in the US State of Minnesota that flows into Lake Superior. The Pigeon River forms part of the US - Canada border between the State of Minnesota and the Province of Ontario west of Lake Superior The Pic River is a river in Thunder Bay District Ontario which flows from its headwaters east of Longlac and empties into Lake Superior south of the town White River (population 841 is a township located in Ontario, Canada, on the intersection of The Michipicoten River is a river in the Algoma District of northern Ontario, Canada, which flows from Lake Wabatongushi and joins with the Magpie Brule River is a river in the US states of Michigan and Wisconsin, and nearly the entire course forms a portion of the boundary between the two states The Kaministiquia River (ˌkæmɪˈnɪstɪkwa is a Canadian River which empties into western Lake Superior at the city of Thunder Bay Lake Superior drains into Lake Huron by the St. Lake Huron, bounded on the west by the US state of Michigan, and on the east by the province of Ontario, Canada, is one of the five Great Marys River. The rapids on the river necessitate the Sault Locks (pronounced "soo"), a part of the Great Lakes Waterway, to move boats over the 25 feet (8 m) height difference from Lake Huron. The Sault Locks (usually called the Soo Locks) allow Ships to travel between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes. The Great Lakes Waterway is a system of channels and Canals that makes all of the Great Lakes accessible to oceangoing vessels

Geography

The largest island in Lake Superior is Isle Royale in the state of Michigan. Isle Royale is an island of the Great Lakes, located in the northwest of Lake Superior. Michigan ( is a Midwestern state of the United States of America. Isle Royale contains several lakes, some of which also contain islands. Other large famous islands include Madeline Island in the state of Wisconsin and Michipicoten in the province of Ontario. Madeline Island is an island of the US state of Wisconsin located in Lake Superior approximately two miles southeast of Bayfield Wisconsin Wisconsin ( or wɪˈskɑnsɨn (French Ouisconsin) is one of the fifty United States of America, located in the north central part of the United States Michipicoten is a township in the Canadian province of Ontario, located within the Algoma District. Ontario (ɒnˈtɛrioʊ is a province located in the central part of Canada, the largest by population and second largest after Quebec

The larger cities on Lake Superior include: the twin ports of Duluth, Minnesota, and Superior, Wisconsin; Thunder Bay, Ontario; Marquette, Michigan; and the two cities of Sault Ste. Marie, in Michigan and in Ontario. Duluth is a Port City in the US state of Minnesota and the County seat of St The city of Superior sits at the junction of US Highway 2 and U Thunder Bay ( 2006 census population 109140 formerly the twin cities of Fort William and Port Arthur, is a City in and the seat of Thunder Marquette is a city in the US state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 19661 with the 2007 population estimated placing it Sault Sainte Marie (ˈsuː seɪnt məˈriː "Soo Saint Marie" is the name of two cities on the Saint Marys River, which forms part of the boundary between the United Sault Ste Marie (ˌsuːseɪntməˈriː is the oldest city in both the state of Michigan and in the entire Sault Ste Marie (nicknamed "the Sault" or "the Soo" is a City on the St Duluth, at the western tip of Lake Superior, is the most inland point on the St. Lawrence Seaway and the most inland port in the world. The St Lawrence Seaway is the common name for a system of Canals that permits ocean-going vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes

Among the scenic places on the lake are: the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore; Isle Royale National Park; Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park; Pukaskwa National Park; Lake Superior Provincial Park; Grand Island National Recreation Area; Sleeping Giant (Ontario);and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Isle Royale National Park is a US National Park in the state of Michigan. The Porcupine Mountains, or Porkies, are a group of small mountains spanning across the northwestern Upper Peninsula of Michigan in Ontonagon and Pukaskwa National Park is a National park located south of the town of Marathon Ontario in the Thunder Bay District of northern Ontario, Lake Superior Provincial Park is one of the largest Provincial parks in Ontario, covering about along the northeastern shores of Lake Superior between The Grand Island National Recreation Area is a National Recreation Area within the jurisdiction of the U The Sleeping Giant is a formation of Mesas on Sibley Peninsula which resembles a giant lying on its back when viewed from the West to North-Northwest section of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is a US National Lakeshore on the shore of Lake Superior in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, United States

Climate

Lake Superior's size creates a localized oceanic or maritime climate (more typically seen in locations like Nova Scotia). An oceanic climate (also called marine west coast climate and maritime climate) is the Climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes An oceanic climate (also called marine west coast climate and maritime climate) is the Climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes Nova Scotia (ˌnəʊvəˈskəʊʃə ( Latin for New Scotland; Alba Nuadh Nouvelle-Écosse is a Canadian province located on Canada 's ^[5] The water surface's slow reaction to temperature changes, seasonally ranging between 32°-55°F (0°-13°C) around 1970,^[6] helps to moderate surrounding air temperatures in the summer and winter, and creates lake effect snow in colder months. Lake-effect snow is produced in the winter when cold Arctic winds move across long expanses of warmer lake water providing energy and picking up Water vapor which freezes The hills and mountains that border the lake hold moisture and fog, particularly in the fall. A mountain is a Landform that extends above the surrounding Terrain in a limited area with a peak The lake's surface temperature has risen by 4. 5°F (2. 5°C) since 1979, which is attributed to global warming. Global warming is the increase in the average measured temperature of the ^[7]

Geology

North American cratons and basement rock, showing the formation of the Midcontinent Rift containing today's Lake Superior

The rocks of Lake Superior's North Shore date back to the early history of the earth. A craton ( Greek kratos / κρἀτος ( neut. "strength" is an old and stable part of the Continental crust that has survived The Midcontinent Rift System (MRS or Keweenawan Rift is a 2000-kilometer long geological Rift in the center of the North American continent and south-central During the Precambrian (between 4. The Precambrian ( Pre-Cambrian) is an informal name for the supereon comprising the eons of the Geologic timescale that came before the current 5 billion and 540 million years ago), magma forcing its way to the surface created the intrusive granites of the Canadian Shield. Magma (Plurals magmas and magmata) is molten rock that sometimes forms beneath the surface of the Earth (or any other Terrestrial planet Granite (ˈɡrænɪt is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, Felsic, igneous rock. The Canadian Shield &mdash also called the Laurentian Plateau, or Bouclier Canadien (French &mdash is a large geological shield covered by These ancient granites can be seen on the North Shore today. It was during the Penokean orogeny, that many valuable metals were deposited. The Penokean orogeny was a mountain-building episode that occurred in the early Proterozoic about 1 The region surrounding the lake has proved to be rich in minerals. A mineral is a naturally occurring substance formed through geological processes that has a characteristic chemical composition a highly ordered atomic structure and specific Copper, iron, silver, gold and nickel are or were the most frequently mined. Copper (ˈkɒpɚ is a Chemical element with the symbol Cu (cuprum and Atomic number 29 Iron (ˈаɪɚn is a Chemical element with the symbol Fe (ferrum and Atomic number 26 Silver (ˈsɪlvɚ is a Chemical element with the symbol " Ag " (argentum from the Ancient Greek: ἀργήντος - argēntos gen Gold (ˈɡoʊld is a Chemical element with the symbol Au (from its Latin name aurum) and Atomic number 79 Nickel (ˈnɪkəl is a metallic Chemical element with the symbol Ni and Atomic number 28 Mining is the extraction of valuable Minerals or other geological materials from the earth usually (but not always from an Ore body Examples include the Hemlo gold mine near Marathon, copper at Point Mamainse, silver at Silver Islet, and uranium at Theano Point. The Golden Giant Mine was an underground Gold mine in the Hemlo mining camp in Canada, located north of Lake Superior, midway between Sault The Town of Marathon is located in Thunder Bay district, Ontario, Canada, on the north shore of Lake Superior north of Pukaskwa National Silver Islet refers to both a small rocky island and a small town site located at the tip of the Sibley Peninsula in northwestern Ontario. Uranium (jʊˈreɪniəm is a silvery-gray Metallic Chemical element in the

The mountains steadily eroded, depositing layers of sediments which compacted and became limestone, dolostone, taconite, and the shale at Kakabeka Falls. Sediment is any particulate matter that can be transported by fluid flow and which eventually is deposited as a layer of solid particles on the bed or bottom of a body of Limestone is a Sedimentary rock composed largely of the Mineral Calcite ( Calcium carbonate: CaCO3 Dolostone is a sedimentary Carbonate rock that contains a high percentage of the Mineral Dolomite. Taconite is an Iron -bearing high- Silica, Flint -like rock It is a Precambrian Sedimentary rock referred to as a Banded iron Shale (also called mudstone) is a fine-grained Sedimentary rock whose original constituents were Clay minerals or Muds It is characterized by Kakabeka Falls (ˈkɛkəˈbɛkə is a Waterfall on the Kaministiquia River, located beside the village of Kakabeka Falls in the municipality of Oliver Paipoonge

The continent was later riven, creating one of the deepest rifts in the world. In Geology, a rift is a place where the Earth 's crust and Lithosphere are being pulled apart and is an example of Extensional tectonics The lake lies in this long-extinct Mesoproterozoic rift valley, the Midcontinent Rift. The Mesoproterozoic Era is a geologic era that occurred between 1600 Ma and 1000 Ma (million years ago A rift valley is a linear-shaped lowland between highlands or mountain ranges created by the action of a geologic Rift or fault. The Midcontinent Rift System (MRS or Keweenawan Rift is a 2000-kilometer long geological Rift in the center of the North American continent and south-central Magma was injected between layers of sedimentary rock, forming diabase sills. Diabase (ˈdaɪəbeɪs or Dolerite is a Mafic, Holocrystalline, Igneous rock equivalent to Volcanic Basalt or plutonic In Geology, a sill is a tabular Pluton that has intruded between older layers of Sedimentary rock, beds of Volcanic This hard diabase protects the layers of sedimentary rock below, forming the flat-topped mesas in the Thunder Bay area. Thunder Bay ( 2006 census population 109140 formerly the twin cities of Fort William and Port Arthur, is a City in and the seat of Thunder Amethyst formed in some of the cavities created by the Midcontinent Rift, and there are several amethyst mines in the Thunder Bay area. Amethyst is a violet variety of Quartz often used as an Ornamental stone in Jewelry. ^[8]

Lava erupted from the rift and formed the black basalt rock of Michipicoten Island, Black Bay Peninsula, and St. Lava is molten rock expelled by a Volcano during an eruption When first expelled from a volcanic vent it is a Liquid at Temperatures Basalt (bəˈsɔːlt ˈbeisɔːlt ˈbæsɔːlt is a common Extrusive Volcanic rock. Ignace Island.

During the Wisconsin glaciation 10,000 years ago, ice covered the region at a thickness of 1. "Last glacial" redirects here For the period of maximum glacier extent during this time see Last Glacial Maximum The last glacial period 25 miles (2. 01 km). The land contours familiar today were carved by the advance and retreat of the ice sheet. The retreat left gravel, sand, clay, and boulder deposits. Glacial meltwaters gathered in the Superior basin creating Lake Minong, a precursor to Lake Superior. Glacial Lake Minong was a proglacial lake that formed in the Lake Superior basin during the Wisconsin glaciation around 10000 B ^[9] Without the immense weight of the ice, the land rebounded, and a drainage outlet formed at Sault Ste. Post-glacial rebound (sometimes called continental rebound, isostatic rebound, isostatic adjustment or post-ice-age isostatic recovery) Marie, which would become known as St. Mary's River.

History

Pictographs at Lake Superior Provincial Park, Ontario

The first people came to the Lake Superior region 10,000 years ago after the retreat of the glaciers in the last Ice Age. A pictogram ( also spelled pictogramme) or pictograph is a Symbol representing a Concept, object, activity place or event Lake Superior Provincial Park is one of the largest Provincial parks in Ontario, covering about along the northeastern shores of Lake Superior between Ontario (ɒnˈtɛrioʊ is a province located in the central part of Canada, the largest by population and second largest after Quebec An ice age is a period of long-term reduction in the Temperature of the Earth 's surface and atmosphere resulting in an expansion of continental Ice sheets They are known as the Plano, and they used stone-tipped spears to hunt caribou on the northwestern side of Lake Minong. The Plano cultures is a name given by Archaeologists to a group of disparate Hunter-gatherer communities that occupied the Great Plains area of North

The next documented people were known as the Shield Archaic (c. 5000-500 B. C. ). Evidence of this culture can be found at the eastern and western ends of the Canadian shore. They used bows and arrows, dugout canoes, fished, hunted, mined copper for tools and weapons, and established trading networks. They are believed to be the direct ancestors of the Ojibwe and Cree. The Ojibwa or Chippewa (also Ojibwe, Ojibway, Chippeway) is the largest group of Native Americans - First Nations Not to be confused with the Creek. Cree is an Exonym applied to various people indigenous to North America namely the Nehiyaw Nehithaw Nehilaw ^[10]

The Laurel people (c. 500 B. C. to 500 A. D. ) developed seine net fishing, evidence being found at rivers around Superior such as the Pic and Michipicoten.

Another culture known as the Terminal Woodland Indians (c. 900-1650 A. D. ) has been found. They were Algonkian people who hunted, fished and gathered berries. The Algonquian (also Algonkian, and pronounced both and) languages are a subfamily of Native American languages that includes most of the languages in the Algic They used snow shoes, birch bark canoes and conical or domed lodges. At the mouth of the Michipicoten River, nine layers of encampments have been discovered. Most of the Pukaskwa Pits were likely made during this time. Pukaskwa Pits are small holes dug in the ground by ancestors of the Ojibwa, named after the near-by Pukaskwa River. ^[11]

The Anishinaabe, also known as the Ojibwe or Chippewa, have inhabited the Lake Superior region for over five hundred years and were preceded by the Dakota, Fox, Menominee, Nipigon, Noquet, and Gros Ventres. Anishinaabe or more properly Anishinaabeg or Anishinabek (which is the plural form of the word is a self-description often used by the Odawa, Ojibwe The Ojibwa or Chippewa (also Ojibwe, Ojibway, Chippeway) is the largest group of Native Americans - First Nations The Lakota (laˈkˣota (also Teton, Tetonwan) are a Native American tribe "Outagamie" redirects here For the Wisconsin county see Outagamie County Wisconsin. Some placenames use other spellings see also Menomonee and Menomonie. They called Lake Superior Anishnaabe Chi Gaming, or "the Ojibwe's Ocean". After the arrival of Europeans, the Anishinabe made themselves the middle-men between the French fur traders and other Native peoples. They soon became the dominant Indian nation in the region: they forced out the Sioux and Fox and won a victory against the Iroquois west of Sault Ste. Sioux (pronounced SUE are a Native American and First Nations people The Iroquois Confederacy (also known as the "League of Peace and Power" the "Five Nations" the "Six Nations" or the "People of the Longhouse Marie in 1662. By the mid-18th century, the Ojibwe occupied all of Lake Superior's shores. ^[12]

In the 18th century, the fur trade in the region was booming, with the Hudson's Bay Company having a virtual monopoly. In 1783, however, the North West Company was formed to rival Hudson's Bay Company. For the grocery chain see The North West Company. The North West Company was a fur trading business headquartered in Montreal The North West Company built forts on Lake Superior at Grand Portage, Nipigon, the Pic River, the Michipicoten River, and Sault Ste. Grand Portage is an Unorganized territory in Cook County, Minnesota, on Lake Superior, at the northeast corner of the state near the border with Marie. But by 1821, with competition taking too great a toll on both, the companies merged under the Hudson's Bay Company name.

Many towns around the lake are either current or former mining areas, or engaged in processing or shipping. Mining is the extraction of valuable Minerals or other geological materials from the earth usually (but not always from an Ore body Shipping is physical process of Transporting goods and Cargo. Today, tourism is another significant industry; the sparsely populated Lake Superior country, with its rugged shorelines and wilderness, attracts tourists and adventurers. Tourism is Travel for Recreational or Leisure purposes The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel For other uses of this term see Industry (disambiguation An industry (from Latin industrius, "diligent industrious" Wilderness is generally defined as a Natural environment on Earth that has not been significantly modified by Human activity

Shipping

Lake Superior has been an important link in the Great Lakes Waterway, providing a route for the transportation of iron ore and other mined and manufactured materials. The Great Lakes Waterway is a system of channels and Canals that makes all of the Great Lakes accessible to oceangoing vessels Taconite is an Iron -bearing high- Silica, Flint -like rock It is a Precambrian Sedimentary rock referred to as a Banded iron Large cargo vessels called lake freighters, as well as smaller ocean-going freighters, transport these commodities across Lake Superior. Lake freighters, or Lakers, are Cargo vessels that ply the Great Lakes. term Seawaymax refers to vessels which are the maximum size that can fit through the Canal locks of the St

The SS Edmund Fitzgerald, a typical lake freighter which sank in 1975

Shipwrecks

The last major shipwreck on Lake Superior was that of SS Edmund Fitzgerald in 1975. Construction and operation On February 1, 1957, Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin contracted Lake freighters, or Lakers, are Cargo vessels that ply the Great Lakes. Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Construction and operation On February 1, 1957, Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin contracted

According to an old sailor's tale, Lake Superior never gives up her dead. This is because of the low temperature of the water, estimated at under 36 °F (2 °C) on average around 1970. ^[6] Normally bacteria feeding off a sunken decaying body will generate gas inside the body, causing it to float to the surface after a few days. The water in Lake Superior, however, is cold enough year-round to inhibit bacterial growth, meaning bodies tend to sink and never surface. ^[13] This is alluded to poetically in Gordon Lightfoot's famous ballad, "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald". Gordon Meredith Lightfoot Jr, (born November 17, 1938) is a Canadian singer and songwriter who achieved international success in folk country and "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald " is a song written composed and performed by Gordon Lightfoot in commemoration of the sinking of the Bulk

Storms that claimed multiple ships include the Mataafa Storm on November 28, 1905, and the Great Lakes Storm of 1913. For the town in Argentina, see 28 de Noviembre. Events Year 1905 ( MCMV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting The Great Lakes Storm of 1913, historically referred to as the "Big Blow" the "Freshwater Fury" or the "White Hurricane" was a Blizzard with

In August 2007, wreckage was found of the Cyprus, a 420-foot (130 m) ore carrier which sank during a Lake Superior storm in 460 feet (140 m) of water. All but Charles G. Pitz of the Cyprus’ 23 crew perished on October 11, 1907. Events 1138 - A massive earthquake struck Aleppo, Syria. 1531 - Huldrych Zwingli is killed Year 1907 ( MCMVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year The ore carrier sank in Lake Superior on its second voyage, whilst hauling iron ore from Superior, Wisconsin, to Buffalo, New York. The city of Superior sits at the junction of US Highway 2 and U Buffalo (ˈbʌfəloʊ is the second largest city in New York State. Built in Lorain, Ohio, the Cyprus was launched August 17, 1907. Lorain is a city in Lorain County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in northeastern Ohio on Lake Erie, at the mouth Events 986 - A Byzantine army was destroyed in the pass of Trajan's Gate by the Bulgarians under the Comitopuli Year 1907 ( MCMVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year ^[14]

Ecology

Although part of a single system, each of the Great Lakes is different. In volume, Lake Superior is the largest. It is also the deepest and coldest of the five. Superior could contain all the other Great Lakes and three more Lake Eries. Because of its size, Superior has a retention time of 191 years. Lake retention time (also called the Residence time of lake water or the water age or flushing time) is a calculated quantity expressing the

Superior's water levels temporarily reached a new low in September 2007, slightly less than the previous record low in 1926. ^[15] However, the water levels soon returned within a few days. ^[16]

According to a study by professors at the University of Minnesota Duluth, Lake Superior may have warmed faster than its surrounding climate. The University of Minnesota Duluth ( UMD) is a regional branch of the University of Minnesota System located in Duluth Minnesota, USA. ^[7] Summer surface temperatures in the lake appeared to have increased about 4. 5°F (2. 5°C) since 1979, compared with about a 2. 7°F (1. 5°C) increase in the surrounding average air temperature. The increase in the lake’s surface temperature may be related to the decreasing ice cover. Less winter ice cover allows more solar radiation to penetrate the lake and warm the water. If trends continue Lake Superior, which freezes over completely once every 20 years, could routinely be ice-free by 2040. ^[17] These warmer temperatures can actually lead to more snow in the lake effect snow belts along the shores of the lake, especially in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Lake-effect snow is produced in the winter when cold Arctic winds move across long expanses of warmer lake water providing energy and picking up Water vapor which freezes The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is the northern of the two major land masses that comprise the U

Over sixty species of fish have been found in Lake Superior, among them: bloater, brook trout, brown trout, burbot, carp, chinook salmon, coho salmon, freshwater drum, lake herring, lake sturgeon, lake trout, lake whitefish, longnose sucker, muskellunge, northern pike, pumpkinseed, pink salmon, rainbow smelt, rainbow trout, rock bass, round goby, round whitefish, ruffe, sea lamprey, smallmouth bass, walleye, white perch, white sucker, and yellow perch. The bloater ( Coregonus hoyi) is a Freshwater Fish native to the Great Lakes. The brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, (sometimes called the eastern brook trout, Adirondack coaster lake trout) is a Species of Fish The brown trout ( Salmo trutta morpha fario and S trutta morpha lacustris) and the sea trout ( S The burbot ( Lota lota) often referred to as a "junkfish" is a freshwater Fish related to the Cods It is also known as the lawyer Carp is a common name for various Freshwater Fish of the family Cyprinidae, a very large The Coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch, (from the Russian кижуч kizhuch) is a Species of Anadromous Fish The freshwater drum, Aplodinotus grunniens, is a fish endemic to North and Central America. The northern cisco ( Coregonus artedi) also known as lake herring and tullibee is a species of Fish in the Salmon family ( Salmonidae The lake sturgeon ( Acipenser fulvescens) is a North American temperate freshwater Fish, one of about 20 species of Sturgeon. Lake trout ( Salvelinus namaycush) is a freshwater char living mainly in Lakes in northern North America. Lake whitefish, Coregonus clupeaformis, are Freshwater Whitefish of North America members of the salmon family The longnose sucker, Catostomus catostomus, is a Freshwater Species of Fish inhabiting cold clear waters in North America from northern The muskellunge, Esox masquinongy, is also known as the muskie, musky or maskinonge. The northern pike (known as the pike in Britain Esox lucius, is a Species of carnivorous Fish of the genus Esox (the pikes The pumpkinseed ( Lepomis gibbosus) is a Freshwater Fish of the sunfish family ( Centrarchidae) of order Perciformes Pink salmon or humpback salmon, Oncorhynchus gorbuscha, (from a Russian name for this species gorbuscha--горбуша is a Species of anadromous Rainbow Smelt ( Osmerus mordax) is an Anadromous Species of Fish inhabiting rivers and coastal areas of North America from The rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss) is a species of Salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America The rock bass ( Ambloplites rupestris, Ambloplites Ariommus, Ambloplites Constellatus) also known as the rock perch or goggle-eye The round goby, Neogobius melanostomus, is a freshwater bottom-dwelling goby of the family Gobiidae, native to central Eurasia including Round Whitefish ( Prosopium cylindraceum) is a Freshwater Species of Fish that is found in lakes from Alaska to New England The Eurasian Ruffe ( Gymnocephalus cernuus) is a freshwater Fish found in temperate regions of Europe and northern Asia. The sea lamprey ( Petromyzon marinus) is a Parasitic Lamprey (a kind of Jawless fish) found on the Atlantic coasts of The smallmouth bass ( Micropterus dolomieui) is a Species of Freshwater Fish in the sunfish family ( Centrarchidae) The walleye (common US name or yellow pickerel (Canada ( Sander vitreus vitreus, formerly Stizostedion vitreum vitreum) is a freshwater Perciform The white perch, Morone americana, is not a true perch but is rather a fish of the temperate bass family Moronidae, notable as a food and game fish in The white sucker, Catostomus commersonii, is a bottom-feeding freshwater fish inhabiting North America from Labrador in the north to Georgia The yellow perch ( Perca flavescens) is a species of Perch found in the United States and Canada, where it is often referred to by the shortform ^[18]

Lake Superior has fewer dissolved nutrients relative to its size compared to the other Great Lakes and so is less productive in terms of fish populations. This is a result of the underdeveloped soils found in its relatively small watershed. ^[19] However, nitrate concentrations in the lake have been continuously rising for more than a century. In Inorganic chemistry, a nitrate is a salt of Nitric acid with an Ion composed of one Nitrogen and three Oxygen atoms They are still much lower than levels considered dangerous to human health, but this steady, long-term rise is an unusual record of environmental nitrogen buildup. It may relate to anthropogenic alternations to the regional Nitrogen Cycle, but researchers are still unsure of the causes of this change to the lake's ecology. The nitrogen cycle is the Biogeochemical cycle that describes the transformations of Nitrogen and nitrogen-containing compounds in nature ^[20] As for other Great Lakes, fish populations have also been impacted by the accidental or intentional introduction of foreign species such as the sea lamprey and eurasian ruffe. The sea lamprey ( Petromyzon marinus) is a Parasitic Lamprey (a kind of Jawless fish) found on the Atlantic coasts of The Eurasian Ruffe ( Gymnocephalus cernuus) is a freshwater Fish found in temperate regions of Europe and northern Asia. Accidental introductions have occurred in part by the removal of natural barriers to navigation between the Great Lakes. Overfishing has also been a factor in the decline of fish populations. ^[2]

See also

• the North Shore of Lake Superior
• the South Shore of Lake Superior
• Great Lakes Areas of Concern
• Michigan lighthouses
• Great Lakes Storm of 1913 and Shipwrecks of the 1913 Great Lakes storm

Notes

Further reading

• Hyde, Charles K. , and Ann and John Mahan. The Northern Lights: Lighthouses of the Upper Great Lakes. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1995. ISBN 0814325548 ISBN 9780814325544.
• Oleszewski, Wes, Great Lakes Lighthouses, American and Canadian: A Comprehensive Directory/Guide to Great Lakes Lighthouses, (Gwinn, Michigan: Avery Color Studios, Inc. , 1998) ISBN 0-932212-98-0.
• Penrod, John, Lighthouses of Michigan, (Berrien Center, Michigan: Penrod/Hiawatha, 1998) ISBN 9780942618785 ISBN 9781893624238
• Penrose, Laurie and Bill, A Traveler’s Guide to 116 Michigan Lighthouses (Petoskey, Michigan: Friede Publications, 1999). ISBN 0923756035 ISBN 9780923756031
• Splake, T. Kilgore. Superior Land Lights. Battle Creek, MI: Angst Productions, 1984
• Stonehouse, Frederick. Marquette Shipwrecks. Marquette, MI: Harboridge Press, 1974
• Wagner, John L. , Michigan Lighthouses: An Aerial Photographic Perspective, (East Lansing, Michigan: John L. Wagner, 1998) ISBN 1880311011 ISBN 9781880311011
• Wright, Larry and Wright, Patricia, Great Lakes Lighthouses Encyclopedia Hardback (Erin: Boston Mills Press, 2006) ISBN 1550463993

External links

• International Lake Superior Board of Control
• EPA's Great Lakes Atlas
• EPA's Great Lakes Atlas Factsheet #1
• Great Lakes Coast Watch
• Parks Canada Lake Superior
• Minnesota Sea Grant - Lake Superior Page

Lighthouses

• Bibliography on Michigan lighthouses
• Interactive map of lighthouses in eastern Lake Superior
• Interactive map of lighthouses in central Lake Superior
• Interactive map of lighthouses in western Lake Superior
• Terry Pepper on lighthouses of the Western Great Lakes
• Wagner, John L., Beacons Shining in the Night, Michigan lighthouse bibliography, chronology, history, and photographs, Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University]